There’s something very special about how John Craigie brings old music into the new feat that is exactly showcased in his new song, “I Am California,” featuring Gregory Alan Isakov. With a sensitive approach to instrumentation and silky smooth vocals, he reimagines the track into something close, almost like a hushed conversation between old pals.
Where the original has some weight to it, Craigie streams it, trading grandiosity for warmth. The gentler instrumentation makes the lyrics sit differently, pulling listeners into a more reflective, almost meditative space. His voice, energetically matching the song’s emotive heart, introduces a newfound vulnerability that makes the track feel less like a performance and more like a personal revelation.
There’s something resolute and beautiful in how Craigie handles this song as if the song had been waiting for this take to exist the whole time. Fans of his storytelling style will appreciate how he molds something initially drafted in “I Am California,” and retains the magic that made him want to write it in the first place.
